Letter of Reflection from a Proud Volunteer

I have had the privilege of being the No Stone Left Alone Site Representative for Lloydminster since 2015. Living in Sherwood Park, I heard about NSLA in 2013 and loved the idea. At the end of October 2014 while visiting my grandparent’s graves in Lloydminster (they did not serve in the military) I had the thought that the veterans buried there needed to be remember with poppies as well. After finding out that there are over 400 veterans buried in the Lloydminster Cemetery I contacted NSLA. Maureen welcomed me with open arms and provided me with everything I needed to hold the first ceremony in Lloydminster in 2015. The local Girl Guides chapters and the 186th Air Cadet Squadron eagerly jumped aboard as well as my family and have laid the poppies on the 416 headstones for the past three years.

I love seeing the children reading the name on the headstone, laying the poppy, taking a moment to reflect and thank them for their service. It adds a whole new depth for them when they participate in their school’s Remembrance Ceremony. It is no longer just an assembly for them, they have a connection to the past. They knew the names of those who served our country in battle and of those who were prepared to battle should that fateful call come.

If you are able to volunteer with NSLA, I highly recommend it. It will be more rewarding than you expect. For some, volunteering may not be in your comfort zone. The next best thing is donating to the No Stone Left Alone Memorial Foundation. Help support us as we engage the next generation in remembering those who were willing to sacrifice everything for their country and to show those who are currently willing to make that sacrifice, that they will not be forgotten.

Laying a poppy on a veteran’s headstone seems like such a small act but it speaks so loudly.